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7. The Enigmatic Blue Sprite Lightnings
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Above the domain of traditional thunderstorms, in the mesosphere 50 to 90 kilometres above Earth's surface, another type of electrical phenomena takes place: sprite lightning. blue sprites are especially rare and enigmatic among these ethereal lights. Blue pixels show as vivid azure tendrils descending from the lower edge of the ionosphere, unlike more often occurring red sprites. Originally seen on film in 1989, blue sprites have attracted great scientific attention ever since. Their high altitude and transient character—just a few milliseconds—make study difficult. Blue sprites might be very important in the global atmospheric electrical circuit, according to scientists, thereby possibly affecting atmospheric gas distribution and weather patterns. Although its formation's mechanism is yet unknown, it is believed to be the interaction of electromagnetic pulses produced by lightning with the top atmosphere. Blue sprites act as a reminder of the intricate and sometimes secret electrical processes continuously happening in the Earth's atmosphere as study develops.
